Now that the Lakeshore Horse Raceway Association has a five-year commitment, it's talking about building a new track in Essex County again.
The group received a three-year commitment from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in February, but Tom Bain with the association says he met with racing officials recently and was assured for another two years after the current contract runs out.
That has Bain thinking about the future.
"We're going to really look at beginning some negotiations with building a new track down here," he says.
Bain says the industry is starting to recover. More horsemen are building up their stables again, and there's no reason to not feel optimistic about the future.
"We have an excellent group that has been promoting horse racing in this area," says Bain. "Results have shown that when you compare live betting here, even to live betting at the Western Fair Raceway in London, we out bet them."
That's a reversal from just last month when the association feared a proposal to close racetracks in Leamington, Dresden and Sarnia was floated in talks to reform the industry. It hosted a representative from the commission on a tour of the Leamington Raceway.
The Ontario Racing Commission's mandate runs out April 1.
